Samsung's NX500 is its Most Powerful Camera Shrunk Into a Small Body

We recently reviewed the burly Samsung NX1, a rather advanced mirrorless camera that looks like a DSLR. Well, now you can have the same guts in a camera that fits in a jacket pocket!

The NX500 is practically the same camera, and that means an awful lot of power for a camera this small. It's got the same 28-megapixel APS-C sensor, the same DRIMe V processor, the same autofocus system and the same 4K video recording. It's pretty remarkable, and perhaps it'll be enough to tempt buyers who would normally pick a camera from Sony, Olympus, or Fujifilm.

We can't say the NX1 and the NX500 are exactly the same, however. A few things are missing from the smaller sibling. The burst mode has been toned down from the 15 fps on the NX1 to a still good 9 fps on the NX500. We were told this is simply because the mechanics of the NX1's shutter couldn't be downsized. Fair enough. The NX500 also loses 120 fps Full HD video. As for ruggedness, this baby ain't weather-sealed.

Those are pretty minor concessions considering you get really great 4K video, decent photos, and terrific usability in the NX500. Most of what we cover in the NX1 review should apply here, except of course the design and handling.

The NX500 will ship in mid-March for $800 (UK price TBC) in a kit that includes a 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 power zoom lens. That's a fairly middle-of-the-road price, and it might not be enough to beat the popular Sony a6000 which you can find for around £550 these days. The Sony doesn't shoot 4K video, and the Samsung doesn't have a robust ecosystem of lenses and lens adapters. Are either of those dealbreakers for you?